Premier Frank Hsieh (
Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said at a press conference that after Premier Hsieh heard the news that the DPP had lost the local government elections to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) at 7pm Saturday, he met with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and offered to resign.
"Hsieh told Chen he would take responsibility for the poor result of the elections," Cho said.
Cho said Chen did not accept Hsieh's resignation. Hsieh yesterday afternoon met Chen and again offered to resign, but Chen still did not accept the offer.
According to Cho, Chen said that the government's priority is to take measures to stabilize the political situation and society, and that he wanted Hsieh to keep his office.
The KMT won a lanslide victory over the DPP in Saturday's elections. The KMT won 14 out of 23 city and county constituencies, while the DPP -- which previously controlled 10 counties and cities -- won just six seats.
In two key races, the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Luo Wen-chia (羅文嘉) gave up Taipei County to the KMT's Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), and the DPP's Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) conceded defeat to his KMT rival, Lu Kuo-hua (呂國華), in Ilan County.
To express their regret over the defeat and accept responsibility for the outcome, Su, Presidential Office Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun and Hsieh bowed to the public three times on Saturday night.
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) offered to resign on Saturday night.
Analysts have said one of the key factors for the DPP's failure in the elections was the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal.
Because Hsieh was mayor of Kaohsiung when the city's MRT project was being planned and a number of the city's officials have been indicted for involvement in the scandal, both opposition and ruling party members have said that Hsieh should take responsibility for the scandal and poor result of the elections.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old